Rockbeare Manor’s Winter Wedding Planning Tips

If you hadn’t considered winter for your wedding, you definitely should – it’s an incredibly captivating time of year. In fact it’s one of our favourites! This is thanks to the rich colours, the open fires and twinkling candlelight…

If you’re planning a winter wonderland celebration or embracing the festivities around Christmas, Rockbeare Manor in Devon are sharing their top tips to ensure your winter wedding is truly unforgettable.

The Dress code

While we wouldn’t encourage enforcing a dress code on your guests, suggesting black tie or at least a black tie evening reception could give your wedding a real sense of style and elegance… so chic. Plus who doesn’t love pulling out all the stops for a special occasion?

Stay warm

If you book your venue outside of winter just make sure that its nice and cosy even on the coldest days. It may seem perfect when you go for a recce in the summer but double check the venue’s heating system can keep your guests warm and toasty all day long. If there are open fires make sure they’re lit nice and early and ask for radiators to come on way before everyone is due to arrive. There’s nothing worse than being cold so this is an important one to remember. You want to make sure that your guests are comfortable enough to take their jackets off!

Embrace the weather

If you’ve chosen winter as the season to get wed, chances are you’re open to the fact that it may rain on your wedding day. In fact it can rain on any day during the year but by getting wed in the winter months there’s also a chance it could snow! Winter can provide us with some of the most beautifully bright, crisp days too. Keep an open mind and prepare accordingly – buy a backup wedding brolly and even a pair of wellies if you plan on going for a stroll to capture some gorgeous couple’s portraits.

Use all the lighting

Candles, fairy lights, festoons, lanterns… whatever you have, use it! There’s no such thing as too many candles and lighting is a simple but highly effective decoration to be used in the winter months. Check that your venue allows open flames but if not, there are some brilliant candle-effect lights you can get. Buy in bulk and pop on tables, mantlepieces and scatter around the bar!

Daylight hours

Getting married in the winter naturally means you will have less daylight to play with. So unless you’re aiming for a dusky, evening-vibe wedding we would recommend booking your wedding ceremony in earlier in the day. In the deepest of winter it starts to get dark from 3pm so plan around this – if you want some group shots outside or fancy going on an adventure with your photographer during the drinks reception, keep the daylight hours in mind.

Identify Beautiful backdrops

First impressions are everything and as you’re likely to be spending the majority of your wedding inside your venue you need to love the interior as much as the exterior! It’s a good idea to check that there are some beautiful, possibly private spots where you can have some photographs taken in poor weather. Note big windows, interesting doorways and stylish furnishings that could work as a backdrop.

Travel logistics

We can almost hear you yawning! But honestly, if you experience heavy weather on your wedding consider how this might affect your plans for the day. Are you travelling between a ceremony location and your reception venue? Is your venue located down a windy country road with not-great access? We don’t want to burst your wedding planning bubble but it’s always good to consider all options and have a contingency plan in place!

Eat and drink seasonally

Who doesn’t love a mulled wine on a chilly winter’s afternoon, or a tasty wellington with gravy and seasonal veg? Let your menu and refreshments reflect the season you’ve chosen to get married in. As well as your catering fitting in perfectly with a subtle winter ‘theme’, local, seasonal ingredients are an eco-friendlier option and readily available during this time.

Go wild with greenery

Pretty flowers are a little thin on the ground during the winter months, so greenery is a brilliant alternative. To avoid buying flowers that have been force-grown or flown half-way around the world, go for shades of green with decorations of ivy, cedar, and pine. You can always pop in a hellebore or two for a nod to winter florals. Dried flowers are another option during the winter months. They’re available to purchase all year round and are a beautiful keepsake to gift and treasure long after the wedding is over.

the honeymoon

Where can you go for a honeymoon in winter? Well the obvious choices to soak up some sunshine would be the Maldives, Bali, or Thailand. But if you don’t fancy travelling that far we have another idea. Is there anything more romantic than booking a cabin or cottage and hunkering down with your favourite person for a long week, or longer? Indulge in long walks, pub lunches and early nights…bliss.